You feel it even when they don’t touch each other. You see it even when they don’t kiss. Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone — Ved aka “Don” and Tara aka “Mona Darling” — take off from where Bunny and Naina left it in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani to give us chemistry that’s crackling yet comforting, friendly yet fiery. The kind that comes with years of knowing and being with each other, the kind that comes with staring at the sea together without saying a word or sitting atop a mountain in silence. It’s the Ranbir-Deepika chemistry — ex-lovers who are now friends and co-stars — that makes Tamasha worth a watch.

t2 picks 10 RanPika (I) moments from the Imtiaz Ali film — special enough to make Ranbir-Deepika the Shah Rukh-Kajol of today!

1 Their first meeting in Corsica... easy chemistry and playful vibe. He introduces himself as “Don” of “gyarah mulkon ki police”(in)fame... she jumps on to the role-play bandwagon and calls herself “Mona... Mona Darling”. He looks at her tip to toe, shakes her hand and suddenly pulls her close with: “Mona kahoon... ya darling?” We get a peek at Deepika’s “RK” tattoo — the letters now hidden under intricate pen play — and all of a sudden, reel merges with real and you now watch the scene in the light of their shared past. #Likeoldtimes

2 The best thing about this RanPika chemistry in Corsica is that it’s the kind that you can have with a close buddy of the opposite sex without any sexual or physical baggage and yet with an intimacy that only the two of you can feel, know and understand. It’s visible in the way Ved and Tara — who are still “Don” and “Mona” — walk on the cobbled streets, dance in the middle of a busy bar or run with abandon through 
sun-kissed fields. #Lovefree

3 Seldom have we seen a leading man in a Bollywood film — unless it’s the R... Rajkumar/ Rowdy Rathore variety — tell the girl, “Aapki husn ki vaadiyaan dikh rahi hai”, and she, instead of covering herself up, tossing off her shirt and pulling down her neckline, daring him to gaze on. #Bindaas

4 The moment in which the “no touching and certainly no sex” clause between the two almost goes for a toss. Hiking through the jungle, Ved and Tara — both dressed in white — touch the tips of their fingers, ruefully saying that things are “not allowed” beyond that point. But then, suddenly and gingerly, they reach out for a hug that becomes prolonged as they hold on, and finally almost reach out for a kiss. The moment is cute but the sexual tension is palpable. Beautiful frame, beautiful couple. #Momentfrozenintime

Spoiler Alert!

5 That scene in which Tara is about to leave Corsica hush-hush but runs back from the car to hug Ved one last time. She throws her arms around him sleeping, he wakes up smiling to see her crying and the two lock lips for the first time. Do they make love? We think so, but the beauty of that scene lies in its tenderness. #Mushmagic

6 They meet again four years later — he by coincidence and she by design — but they are both hesitant and out of sync. The realness of the scene — it could so easily be a moment between you and someone you met and lost and met again — is what makes a mark. Both Ranbir and Deepika are in fine form here, he genuinely happy yet guarded, and she visibly relieved to know he’s still single. They both have tears in their eyes.#Cute&charming 

7 They meet, they go on dates, they catch up over lunches and dinners... but neither says the ‘L’ word. Till the time they are walking into a film — each with a popcorn tub in hand — and she looks at him, without saying anything. He looks at her and says simply: “I love you too”. It’s a moment fuss and fancy free but so, so genuine. #Lumpinthethroat

8 An hour or so later, the equation between the two is no longer the same. She begs him to meet her and he agrees. They pick a fight soon enough and he shouts at her and prepares to stomp off. She holds on to him, as if for dear life, as he struggles to break free. But he eventually gives up and rests his head on her shoulder as she runs her fingers through his hair, crying. Love remains. #Pictureperfect

9 Many reels later, he lands up in Tokyo to meet her at a business conference. The scene is super cute — she sees a “Don Returns” note plastered on the glass facade and runs down 50 flights of stairs, desperately looking for him. She walks back up, only to see him walking right beside her. He introduces himself as Don... she calls herself Mata Hari. And just like that, it’s Corsica again. #Fun

10 The last scene where he — as the “storyteller” — has been called on stage for a final curtain call. Spying her in the wings, he smiles at her and blows a stream of kisses towards her. She reciprocates in the same way. Then he lies on the stage, face down, and joins his hands, as if to thank her for “saving” him. She walks up to him with tears in her eyes... and the two kiss. #What’snottolove

Ranbir-Deepika are the SRK-Kajol of today. Why/ why not? Tell t2@abp.in